Proceedings of the Nigerian Academy of Science (Journal)
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE: Improving the dispersion and reinforcing properties of peroxidated corn stover and sugarcane bagasse fibers in natural rubber compounds
Full text linkThe performance of peroxidated powdered fibers of corn stover and sugarcane bagasse as fillers in natural rubber was evaluated in this study. Powdered corn stover and sugar bagasse fibers were subjected to the conventional peroxidation treatment for conversion to more hydrophobic fillers with enhanced tensile properties. The physicochemical properties of the peroxidated fibers were assessed using standard methods. Morphological properties, thermal stability, and functional groups were also assessed. The treated and untreated fibers were then used as fillers in natural rubber compounding using the two-roll mill, compression moulding and subjected to physico-mechanical characterization. There was improved dispersion of the peroxidated fibers in the polymer matrix, which meant significant improvement in the reinforcement and mechanical properties of the natural rubber compounds. A morphological study of the composites showed that natural rubberperoxided fiber composites have very good dispersion in the rubber matrix. The mechanical properties showed that the composites have improved properties with the highest tensile strength of 44.55 MPa, modulus at 100% elongation of 6.11 MPa, elongation at break of 294%, hardness of 74.30 IRHD
REVIEW PAPER - Environmental and chemical risk factors for breast cancer: A review of the current understanding of environmental toxic metal-induced breast malignancies, Nigeria perspective
Full text linkBreast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, with an increasing number of new cases each year. The incidence of breast cancer is sadly increasing at the same time as environmental toxicants, particularly in Africa nations like Nigeria. Toxic metals are significant environmental pollutants and their toxicity results in harmful health effects. Numerous studies have described environmental exposure of humans to toxic metals in African populations, and the most commonly implicated toxic metals include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and nickel, all of which impact negatively on human health and the environment. Recently some of these toxic metals have been linked to the development of different types of cancers including breast cancer. Given the large burden of the morbidity and mortality associated with breast cancer, it is of the upmost importance to identify predisposing risk factors so that appropriate preventive strategies that could reduce cancer incidence can be developed and implemented. Therefore, this review aims at elucidating the role of environmental toxic metals in the development of breast cancer
BOOK REVIEW - Healthcare Education in Nigeria: Evolutions and Emerging Paradigms.
Full text linkThe above book published by Professor Joseph Balogun, an accomplished clinician, researcher, educator, and administrator, who doubled as a participant-observer while working on this book, is a compelling masterpiece. As a former Senior Lecturer and Vice-Dean at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife three decades ago, a retired Distinguished Professor at Chicago State University, faculty, and administrator at several universities around the world, made Professor Balogun uniquely qualified to author this book. He is familiar with the global education and healthcare systems. As a patriotic Nigerian who has devoted his life to giving back to his homeland, Professor Balogun authored this book to address the curriculum deficits he observed during one of his many visits to Nigeria. At a national workshop he gave at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City in 2018 to faculty, heads of academic departments, and university administrators, he observed that most of his audience had no formal training on their roles and responsibilities
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE - Effects of abattoir activities on the water quality of Oko-Oba river in Agege, Lagos, Nigeria: a seasonal variation assessment
Full text linkSurface water from the Oko-Oba River in Agege, Lagos Nigeria which runs beside the Oko-Oba Abattoir was assessed for its physicochemical quality in relation to temporary seasonal variation. The samples were collected in May and September 2019 (wet and dry season) and analysed for physicochemical (including some potentially toxic metals (PTMs)) and microbiological parameters using standard protocols of American Public Health Organization (APHA) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Many physicochemical and microbiological parameters analysed for the samples did not meet regulatory standards for surface water. Some significant correlations were observed between the seasons, sampling points and parameters. The results of this study showed that seasonal variations affected some the water quality parameters of the Oko-Oba River. Further studies are recommended to provide information on the effect of the Abattoir activities on aquatic life in other to ensure sustainable river bodies
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE: Assessment of Bacterial Communities in a Heavy Metal Contaminated Underground Water in Ikwo Salt Mining Site
Full text linkHeavy metal contamination of underground water due to natural and anthropogenic sources is a global environmental concern. Microbial remediation of a hydrocarbon-contaminated site can be accomplished with the help of a diverse group of microorganisms. The objectives of this project were to determine the bacterial diversity in a heavy metal contaminated region of Enyigba, Ebonyi state. Four samples were collected from the study area (Royal Mining Salt, Enyigba) and a control from Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi state in triplicates. The probable tolerant genera were identified using Enterotube which was based on biochemical reactions. The physico-chemical parameters were analyzed and the different concentrations of heavy metals (Zinc, lead, Cadmium, Chromium and Arsenic) were determined using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometer) and its corresponding effects on bacterial communities were determined using the statistical package IBM SPSS Version 22.0. The dominant genera isolated were Pseudomonas spp, Acinetobacter spp, Vibrio spp, and Enterobacter spp in descending order of abundance. The most tolerant genera were subsequently utilized by examining their potential to degrade hydrocarbon. This was achieved by checking the abilities of the isolates to produce biosurfactant and calculating the emulsification index. Pseudomonas spp (86%) was found to have the highest index, followed by Acinetobacter spp (67%). The presence of Sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) and Acid producing bacteria (APB) were confirmed using API RP-38 and ZPRA-5 test broth respectively. Their presence was attributed to the high concentration of sulphate. This study summarizes the potentials of microbes in hydrocarbon degradation
REVIEW PAPER - Zoonotic Diseases Situation in Nigeria; Control Measures and Challenges
Full text linkInfectious diseases are responsible for illness, deaths and economic losses in human and animals. The situation is worse in developing countries with limited resources, poor infrastructures and technology necessary for disease prevention and control. Consequently, causative agents of diseases may emerge from animal reservoirs and are transmitted from animals to human as zoonoses or sustained human-to-human transmission may occur. About 60% of infectious diseases are zoonotic and over 75% of emerging and re-emerging diseases in human are acquired from animal hosts. Globally and in Nigeria, zoonotic diseases previously controlled such as yellow fever, Orthopoxvirus (monkey pox virus), Lassa fever, anthrax etc. are re-emerging and new ones like Avian influenza, Ebola, and respiratory coronaviruses (SARS, MERS and 2019-nCoV) are emerging. In addition, the transboundary nature and inter-continental introductions of many of these pathogens threaten the national economy and public health. Other zoonotic diseases like rabies, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis are intractable due in part to negligence. Hence, the burden of zoonotic diseases in Nigeria is high and unabated despite available preventive vaccination for a disease like rabies. Some of these important zoonoses are discussed in detail in this paper with emphasis on effective control through the application of modern technology for surveillance, early and accurate diagnosis, biosecurity and preventive vaccination. These tools are however insufficiently deployed in Nigeria. It is therefore imperative to prioritise public health policies with focus on research, development and innovations for better impact on human and animal health with sequelae on national transformation
EDITORIAL - Effects of New Biological Threats on Health Security and Safety in Nigeria: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Full text linkOver the past decades, several old and new infectious diseases have featured as major contributors to Nigeria’s health vulnerability, with evidence indicating that sufficient gains are yet to be made in tackling their dominance.Since the colonial and post-colonial periods, Nigeria has witnessed several episodes of serious biological threats from small pox, yellow fever, poliomyelitis, rabies, measles, plaque and several others – and it took years of sustained efforts to reduce their prevalence. Indeed, over the succeeding years, infectious diseases such as dengue fever, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, leishmaniosis, buruli ulcer, leprosy, dracunculiasis (guinea worm) and Chagas disease became so dominant and sustained within the African region that for lack of a better definition, they have been collectively referred to as “neglected tropical diseases” (NTD) (WHO, 2010). NTD became a dominant lexicon for describing about 20 diseases that had been “neglected” within international programmatic focus and the fact that they affect the world’s largest communities and individuals. To date, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) estimates that NTDs affect about one billion persons worldwide, with the majority being residents in sub-Saharan African countries and other low-income countries around the world. Despite the continued expansion of the spheres of these infections, very limited progress has yet been made in restraining the health and social impact of the NTDs, especially in low and middle-income countries
REVIEW PAPER - Yellow Fever in Nigeria: A Review of Past, Current, and Future Strides
Full text linkSince 1985, there has been resurgence of yellow fever in Africa with outbreaks occurring in more than 33 countries. From that time, thousands of cases have occurred in Nigeria which is the most populous country in Africa. Semi-urban and urban centres across the country are densely populated, with numerous sparsely populated rural settings in every State, some of which contain heavy forests. A wide-range of vegetation zones exists which lead to smooth transition of several tropical climates. As a result, there is preponderance of Aedes species in many parts of the country especially during the rainy season when relative humidity is high. Vector control is not applicable to jungle yellow fever, but infection in human population can be prevented by vaccination. Yellow fever deaths were recently reported in Nigeria, causing panic and public outcry. This review highlights the epidemiological trajectory of yellow fever, the past, and the present and future efforts in the country with a view to providing in-depth knowledge of yellow fever activities in order to enhance public health
In vitro antioxidant activity‐guided fractionation of Daucus carota L. seed extract
Full text linkDaucus carota Linn (carrot) seeds are medicinally useful in the management of diseases including diabetes mellitus. The present study investigates the in vitro antioxidant activities and phytochemical constituents of several fractions from aqueous seed extract of Daucus carota. D. carota seeds (78.8g) were pulverized and dissolved in 400 mL of distilled water for 24 hours. The crude extract obtained (16.4g, 20.8% yield) was partitioned in water/ethyl acetate (3:1) to yield ethyl acetate fraction (6.2g, 37.8% yield) and aqueous ethyl acetate fraction (7.6g, 46.3% yield) which was subjected to column chromatography. Thirteen (13) fractions obtained were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activities and screened for phytochemical constituents. The fractions exhibited in vitro antioxidant activities at 2 – 20 μg/mL with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities (IC50 = 1.38 - 22.96 μg/mL), total antioxidant capacity (IC50 = 1.17 - 3.13 μg/mL) and nitric oxide scavenging activities (IC50 = 3.20 - 20.72 μg/mL). Fractions 4 – 8 expressed promising in vitro hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) antioxidant activities with IC50 comparable with that of ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene. The phytochemical screening of fractions 4 – 8 revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolics, which could be responsible for the antioxidant activities. The results suggest that fractions obtained from Daucus carota L. seed extracts possess significant antioxidant potential
REVIEW PAPER: Mobile Hybrid Data Barges–Role of the Navy in Cloud Computing and Internet Access
Full text linkThe Nigerian Navy faces significant challenges due to low budgetary allocations in comparison to advanced naval organizations across the globe. The occurrence of COVID–19 pandemic is also envisaged to result in significant budget cuts thereby affecting the navy’s ability to meet its goals. This challenge can be addressed by transforming the role of the Nigerian Navy. The discussion in this paper identifies the roles that the Nigerian Navy can play in enabling the emergence of a new era in information and communications technology via the use of maritime resources for the support of computing. In addition, the paper recognizes the revenue earning potential and the leading role available to the Nigerian economy as a technology developer and enabler in the context of the blue economy